In the last tip, I mentioned one of my earliest mentors, Howard Clark. Howard was part of the original air staff of the legendary KFRC in San Francisco, and later in life returned to his (and my) hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. And believe me, just listening to Howard was a lesson in how there are endless opportunities to do real Content.
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Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #587: Short Breaks MATTER
In a session recently with an air talent on a station my partner John Frost and I both work with, we discussed something “under the radar” for most people on the air. As Frosty put it, “Most air talents think only the longer breaks matter because ‘I get to prepare those.'”
John and I were fortunate in that early in our careers, we had a wonderful mentor named Howard Clark, who showed us what could be done in a short break. Because short breaks matter too. (This became a real strength for each of us, and a staple of what we teach.)
Howard could do a killer, genuinely funny line in seven seconds or less. You listened more closely, because you never knew when Howard would say something that would crack you up – or at least, make you pay attention.
Since you probably never heard of Howard Clark, here’s the lesson:
- A clever line doesn’t always need a lengthy setup.
- Just your tone of voice can connect with the listener. It’s the mindless “read” that simply passes by unnoticed.
My thought? Until you master the art of having short breaks be an opportunity to inform or entertain, you’re not a complete air talent.
Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #586: Getting in the Groove FAST
It stuns me sometimes that air talents sound so completely disconnected from the music. (This happens A LOT with voice-tracking.)
So, think about this little little-known technique: if you match the pace of the song you’re talking over the intro of, or coming out of, or if you match the emotional vibe of the song – or hopefully, you do BOTH – it makes a statement. You’re immediately a part OF the music. We want to believe that you’re listening to the music, too.
Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #585: It’s About How Long it Sounds
It’s not how long something IS. It’s about how long it SOUNDS.
Too many words, too many examples, or parenthetical “side road” journeys, will automatically make you sound longwinded.
And it’ll feel long, no matter how it times out on a stopwatch.
“2 minutes isn’t that long.” Really? How long does it FEEL? Try holding your breath for two minutes right now. You’ll understand.
Tommy Kramer Tip #584: The Starting Place When You Have a Guest On
If you want to have a guest do a good job and want to come back, you MUST start with this…
Take a back seat to him/her/etc. It starts with how you bring them on. Don’t “give away the plot” and tell the guest’s whole story. Take ONE thing and start giving, like “So, tell us about this movie…” (or whatever the guest is there to promote).
Or with a caller…suppose she’s obsessed with the movie “Back to the Future”. (This is an example from a show I coach in Houston.) Naturally, you ask how many times she saw it when it came out, and she tells you – instead of YOUR telling us you learned something about her, then telling HER that she has an obsession with a movie. (She knows that.) When you let the guest (or caller) tell the bulk of the story, that person comes across better – and so do you.
I can tell you from experience that the guest will really appreciate it. And you build a catalog of people who’ll gladly come back on the show.
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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2024 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.
Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #583: The Two Options in Content
“Content Creator” may be a new title to the You Tube/TikTok generation, but to those of us in radio, it’s been part of our lives for a long time.
So, if you’re just starting out in this business, or if you’ve been around for a while and want to refresh and refine your Content, it boils down to two options:
Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #582: What Makes a Benchmark
Pretty much every air talent tries to establish “benchmark” material. But what, exactly, makes something a “must hear” feature?
Well, first of all, it’s about the idea itself. Back when the huge box office sci-fi movies were just becoming all the rage, my morning show partner in Houston, Fred Kennedy and I came up with a thing we called “Star Fake.”
Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #581: The Formula for Doing It Well
One of the things that comes up in coaching sessions with any music radio air talent is not just doing it, but “doing it well.”
It’s easy to wonder what key ingredients add up to accomplishing that. So here’s how it works:
Keep things short. This isn’t about a word count or how many seconds something takes. It’s about not adding words to sound more important.
Keep things simple. Make it easy to follow. Too many details, or parenthetical phrases will inevitably add up to unnecessary “side roads” in your Content. Always imagine the listener in the car, with his or her head on a swivel trying not to get crashed into by some distracted driver. The last thing anyone needs is something that takes too much time to follow.
Keep it short + Keep it simple = Doing it well.
Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #580: IT versus US
Most air talents talk about “it.” A great air talent talks about us, and how “it” affects us.
Many air talents struggle for Content, but you can see Content pretty much everywhere if you think about how to make “it” about us, and if you do it the right way.
Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #579: Observational or Experiential
There are only two basic types of Content: it’s either observational (you saw it or read it), or it’s experiential (you actually did it).
So… your initial camera angle will be either Observational or Experiential, and either way will work. It’s your choice.